Ribbon mechanism for type-writers.



PATBNTED FEB. 17, .1903.

5. ALEXANDER. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 27, 1902. no MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLIOATIDN FILED FEB. 2?, 1902.

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UNITED STATES JESSE ALEXANDER, on NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO- HERMAN BENKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RIBBON MECHANISM FQR TYPE-WINTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 720,992, dated February 17, 1903.

Original application filed October 1, 1901, Serial No. 77,184. No. 95,852.

To ctZZ whom, it ntbty concern:

Be it known that LJESSE ALEXANDER,a cit-izen of the United States, and a residentof the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Ribbon Mechanism for Type-Writers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in ribbon mechanism for-typewriters; and the object is to provide a simple mechanism for imparting the step-by-step movement to the ribbon and to provide a novel form of shifting device for reversing the movement of the ribbon, this application being a division of my application for patent on type writers filed October 1, 1901, Serial No. 77,184.

I will describe aribbon mechanism for typewriters embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showingario bon mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 3 shows a plate for shifting the ribbon for upper and lower case printing. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism. Fig. 5 isa sectional view, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, of one of the ribbon-spools. Fig. 6 is a detail showing means for imparting the step-by-step motion, and Fig. 7 is a rear-view of a ribbon-spool.

In this device the several finger-levers 102, as do also the levers for the usual spacingbar, which it is not deemed necessary to show herein, pass over and engage upon a universal lifting-bar 103, attached, by means of arms 104, to a rocL-shaft 105, having bearings at its ends in the machine-frame. The ribbonspools 106 are mounted on inwardly-extended arms 107 in the machine-frame, and rearward of each spool is a ratchet-wheel 108. The ratchet-wheels 108 are mounted to rotate on studs 109, attached to the side arms 107, and

' the spools 106 are attached to the studs 109 by means of spindles 110. These spindles are interiorly screw-threaded to engage the Divided and this application filed February 27, 1902. herial (No model.)

exterior screw-thread on the studs 109, and between the head ofthe spindle 110 and the spool is arranged a spring 111, which serves to hold the spool yieldinglyagainst a collar 112 on the stud. Each spool 106 is caused to rotate with its ratchet-wheel 108 by means of a pin 113, attached to the spool andengaging in a notch 113 in the hub portion of the ratchet wheel. By this construction the spool may be readily detached from its ratchet-wheel when desired. A gravity-operating dog 114 is provided for each ratchetwheel 108. This gravitydog has a rearwardly-extended u pper end for engaging with the teeth, and its lower end 115 is so weighted as when released to cause the hook portion of the dog to engage with the teeth-that is, these weighted portions are inclined inward and downward. The gravity-dogs 114 are connected by links 116 to arms 117, extended forward from the rock-shaft 105, the upper ends of said links 116 being pivotally connected to one end of links 117?, the opposite ends of said links 117 being pivoted to hangers in the machine-frame, the dogs 114 being mounted on the pivots connecting the parts 116 and 117 Mounted to slide in bearings in the machine-frame is a bar 118 for shifting the dogs 114-that is, for soshifting the dogs that one will be placed in operative position while the other is placed in inoperative position. This shifting-rod 118 is provided with finger-pieces at its ends, and it is also provided near its ends with collars 119 for'engaging the weighted ends of the dogs 114. In Fig. 1 this bar 118 is shown as shifted to the right, thus leaving the dog 114 at the right-hand side of the machine to operate the spool at said right-hand end and draw the ribbon 120 from the other spool. The collar 119 at the left-hand end of said rod, however, by engaging with the weighted end of the dog 114 at said end will move and hold said dog out of operative position. When the parts are in "the position thus described, a downward pressure on any one of the keys or the spacing device will cause a rocking of the rock-shaft 105, which will move the dog 114 downward, causing it by engaging with a tooth of the wheel 108 to move the ribbon-spool one space. Upon releasing the finger-lever the rock-shaft will be returned to its normal position, consequently moving the dog upward for engagement with another tooth. To cause a quick return of the rock-shaft 105, I may employ a spring 121, which is coiled around said rock-shaft near one end and is connected at one end to the rock-shaft and at the other end to a pin on the machine-frame. When it is desired to turn the spools to quickly adjust the ribbon, said spools may be drawn out against the resistance of the springs 111, releasing the pins 113 from the ratchet-wheels 108. At its central portion the ribbon 120 passes through a guide and lifting plate 122. This guide-plate has a central opening through which the ribbon may be pressed against the paper, and it has side slots 123, the walls of which provide guides for the ribbon. These slots 123 have u pward and outward openings, through which the ribbon may be readily passed. At each depression of a finger-lever the plate 122 is carried upward to bring the ribbon in line with the type. The lower end of the guideplate 122 is pivotally connected to an arm 124, loosely mounted on a rock-shaft 125, supported in the machine-frame, and this arm 124 has a projection rearward of the rockshaft,with which a draw-rod 126 connects, the lower end of this draw-rod being connected pivotally to an arm 127, extended rearward from the universal lifting-bar 103.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a type-writer, a ribbon-feeding mechanism comprising gear-wheels mounted on the machine-frame, spools connected to the gear-wheels, hangers on the frame, links pivoted to the hangers, dogs pivoted on the links and adapted to engage their upper ends with the gear-wheels, the lower ends being in clined downward and inward and weighted, a rock'shaft, connections between the dogs and the rock-shaft, and means for shifting a dog into inoperative position while the other dog is in operative position, substantially as specified.

2. In a type-writer, a ribbon-feeding mechanism comprising studs on the machine-frame, gear-wheels mounted to rotate on the studs, spindles removably connected to the studs, spools mounted on the spindles, collars on the studs between the spools and gear-wheels, means for locking the spools to the gearwheels, springs for yieldingly holding the spools in position, and means for rotating the gear-wheels, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my 60 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JESSE ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

JNo. M. BITTER, C. R. FERGUSON. 

